


Stand by me

by Leiya



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, destuction of the planet, hinted promoto/cidney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 14:59:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9825497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leiya/pseuds/Leiya
Summary: Prompto is out in the wilderness looks into the darkness and muses about when his best friend would finally return and save the world from this destructive darkness.Basically just a rewrite of their reunion after ten years. How Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio meet in Hammerhead by chance at the same time their king returns.





	

Stand by me

Prompto, sighed when he looked out into the night huddled into his blanket, his fire burning behind him. This eternal night that held the world in its strong grip for years. The only thing that changed was the temperature. It grew colder the longer this night lasted. Of course. The planet had not felt a warming ray of sunlight in a decade. How did it feel like when the sun burned on your skin? What did a sunrise look like? Suddenly the man felt sorry for all the children born the last ten years who knew nothing about natural light. Well there were not many kids born. This world held no space for humans. Daemons lurked everywhere nowadays. The only place left with a bit of light was Lestallum with its power plant. Only skilled hunters dared to leave the town. Hunters like him. Or could he be counted as a hunter? He hunted daemons, yes. But he rather said he was a waiter: a person waiting for another person’s return. It had been ten years. But he knew his best friend would reappear one day. And for that day he waited.  
He heard steps and jumped to his feet.

“Good evening. I hope I don’t disturb you, but I look for a place to rest a bit. May I stay for a while?” 

A broad grin appeared on Prompto’s face and he relaxed. He instantly recognized the voice of another close friend. 

“But of course, Ignis. My fire is your fire!”

The man who just stepped into the flickering light of the fire looked weary but a smile appeared on his face.

“This is a nice surprise, to see it’s you. I thought you were in Hammerhead.”

“Cidney threw me out. Said she didn’t want to see me for a while.”

Ignis chuckled when he sat down next to Prompto’s fire and fed it a few pieces of dry wood he had collected on his way to the camp. It hadn’t rained in weeks so there was much dry wood around. 

“How long has it been since you’re out here?” Ignis asked.

“Dunno? It’s hard to keep track of time when your phone’s battery died. I haven’t seen any civilization in… quite a time.”

Ignis pulled out his own phone and after a short while of tapping on the screen the device blurted out the day and the time for both of them to hear.

“Oh… It’s been a bit over a month I’ve last seen her. And what about you?” Prompto asked while handing Ignis a plate with the rest of his food. It was nothing like the things Ignis could prepare but it was there and they all had learned to live from what they could get.

“I’m fine. I’m currently out observing the changes out here. I don’t even know why they asked a blind man to do this, but I guess there are too few people left who dared to explore the world. The daemons grow in number, the beasts get eaten or simply starve… Plants can’t grow, the rivers dry out or get polluted by I don’t know what kind of darkness-loving stuff… I’d say this world is dying.” The way Ignis stated these facts sent a chill down Prompto’s spine.

“He has to come back soon. He’s our only hope.” Prompto stared into the flames.

“He will. He is our rightful king. Fate will not allow him to stay away until it’s too late. We have to believe in him.” Ignis’ voice was calm, but the way he frowned told Prompto enough. Ignis was also worried.

“Let’s go to Hammerhead after we rested.” Prompto proposed. “I want to take a shower and Cidney should have calmed down.”  
Ignis nodded and finished his meal, before he pulled his own blanket out of his bag to get some rest.

~~~~~

“Finally.” Prompto sighed heavily when they reached the outpost. “I guess I can throw these clothes away… And you need a new shirt…”

“I thought so. The last mile was a bit cold on my back.” 

The daemons they had to fight on their way had been very aggressive and their clothes were torn on several places. 

“Well if everything’s lost we still have those Kingsglaive uniforms.” Prompto joked and instantly regretted his words.

“We will not wear those unless there is a king who’s Glaives we can be!” Ignis scolded sternly.

“The day will come.” A female voce interrupted them. “Trust in him… And welcome back. Prompto! You should have given a word! Do you know how long you’ve been out there? You should at least have turned your phone on!”

“Ugh… I’m … sorry Cidney! Really!” Prompto asked for forgiveness.

“I was worried! Don’t ever dare to stay out for so long without messaging from time to time!” The young woman held up her lantern so that she probably could read in his face whether he really sorry or just played it. And Prompto could read in hers that her words were sincere as well. 

“I’m really sorry… It won’t happen again!” He lowered his gaze.

After a while Cidney took a deep breath. “Thank god you’re back in one piece.” She said and slapped his shoulder. “And good to see you again as well, Ignis. Come on, you smell like you could need some clean water. I’ll prepare everything for you.”  
“Thank you, Cidney”

About another hour later the two friends sat in the old diner and had a small meal. They had taken a bath; Prompto had sorted all problems out with Cidney and was allowed to stay here again for a while – until she threw him out again in a few weeks.

They both looked up when someone else entered the building and came directly in their direction.

“Yo. Has something happened that I find both of you here?” The tall muscular man stood in front of their table and grinned.

“Nothing special,” Prompto said. “We met last night by chance and decided to come here. And what about you, Gladio?”

“I see. I just felt the urge to see some civilization again. Is it just me or do the daemons really grow in number?”

Prompto nodded. “Not only in number… Also in size.”

“We have more than enough to do… Until he comes back. We have to go on fighting”, Ignis stated and the other two nodded. Gladio also got himself some food and while they ate they discussed the situation. How long this world would still be able to survive the darkness. 

“Perhaps one day, when all beasts are dead the daemons will have to kill each other in earnest and at last also be dead.” Gladio tried to see something good in the current circumstances.

“And then all humans also turn into daemons and in another ten years this whole planet will be nothing more than a dead, cold world covered in ice. Even the cockroaches will be dead by then.” Ignis prophesied bitterly and shoved is empty plate away. There was not much hope left.

“Nah. I give the roaches ten more years until every last remaining part of anything once living here has become their food.” Even Prompto’s mood was far from good.

“Huh? Another visitor. Hammerhead sure is busy tonight.” Gladio had noticed a truck rolling on the place before the diner. 

“It’s two in the afternoon.” Ignis corrected but Gladio shrugged. It has been night the past ten years.

“It’s Talcott! We should say hello!” Prompto proposed. “Perhaps he has more information how things are over at Lestallum.”

The other two nodded and got up to greet the boy who had lost his granddad ten years ago and had since become a loyal ally to their task.

When they left the building they noticed that Talcott was not alone. He brought someone with him and Prompto and Gladio froze when they recognized Talcott’s passenger.

“What is it?” asked Ignis who couldn’t see it but sensed the excitement in his friends.

Prompto came back to his senses first and shook Ignis’ Arm. “Its… it’s him! He’s back!” he whispered excitedly and all three of them approached the person they all had missed so much during the last ten years.

“Ho!” Noctis greeted them. His clothes were dirty, his hair a mess… But there was no doubt. The king had returned.

“Don’t you ‘Ho’ us after all this time!” Gladio hollered and couldn’t hold back but ruffled through Noctis’ hair before he pulled the much smaller king into a bear hug. “Welcome back!”

“Thanks!” Noctis nodded and then he approached Ignis and put a hand on his advisor’s shoulder but Ignis was not having any of this polite behavior. Not now. He could return to his usual behavior later. Now he gave Noctis a tight hug. It was just too good to see him again. “Good to have you back. We have waited for you.” Then he let go of his king and nodded with a fond smile. “Welcome”

“Thank you, Ignis. Good to see you’re fine.”

And even before he could turn to Prompto he stumbled back because the lively young man had just jumped into his arms. “God, Noct! Thank god! I thought you wouldn’t make it in time!” 

“Oi, don’t cry! I’m back. I can’t let this planet die. And I can’t leave you worried for the rest of your lives. I have a task to fulfill. Will you still stand by me?” Noctis asked. “After all this time?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? We didn’t wait ten years for your return just to leave you alone in your most important battle.” Prompto bristled at these words, still sniffing and the others nodded.

“We will defeat the darkness together.” 

“We’ll always be by your side, king.”


End file.
